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As the holidays approach, savvy consumers should already be on the lookout for scams and fraud. But what about at work? Do you know how to avoid one of the newest twists on an old scam?

Boss phishing—sometimes called CEO phishing or spearphishing, since the message appears to come from someone high up in the company—has been around for a long time, and its targets can be both financial and data-driven. Usually, in the form of a genuine-looking email, the request asks someone to send over sensitive information, change account numbers and move money around, or even change things like usernames and passwords.

It works for one very simple reason… when the boss says to do something, you do it. However, this kind of trust in following orders means the consequences can be very serious for the company and lead to blowback for the employee who was tricked. This newly reported spearphishing scam, though, is particularly horrible since the innocent employee might be the one who’s most profoundly harmed.

In the new variation, the “CEO” emails someone and directs them to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards for the employees’ holiday bonuses; this could be with their personal credit card or with a company credit card. After the cards are purchased, the “CEO” emails again and says to scratch off the protective strip then submit the card numbers so the boss can email all of the employees their gift car codes.

In a real report of this crime to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a few hours after sending the gift card codes to the scammers, the victim learned the company computer had been hacked. The emails weren’t genuine, and the scammers made off with $5,000 in gift cards.

Fortunately, you can avoid this scam rather easily, but it does require you to get in the good habit of questioning orders. Hopefully, any company leader whose employee receives a strange request won’t be too put out that they took the initiative to verify it before complying.

1. Never click a link or open an attachment in an email unless you know you can trust it. This applies to both your personal email and your business account.

2. Never follow through with strange requests from anyone within the company—like sending over all the payroll records (which contain Social Security numbers), W2s, sensitive account information, or funds—without picking up the phone and verifying the request.

3. Never hit “reply” to share sensitive information. Instead, create a new email with the requested information in case the initial email was hacked or spoofed.

Of course, it can be daunting to “second guess” the boss but that’s what scammers are counting on when they target someone within your company. Think of it this way: it’s far better to ask a silly question and risk a little awkwardness in the workplace than to put your company in a bad situation. Failing to verify a request that turns out to be a phishing attempt can have serious financial consequences for the business, especially if sensitive information is shared.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.

Identity theft and security experts have warned for years that consumers need to stay on top of the latest news about scams and fraud in order to protect themselves. But there’s no need to keep those details a secret!

A retail employee in Illinois saved the day when she and other workers stopped a senior citizen from becoming the victim of a scam. The customer was trying to buy a high-dollar amount of gift cards to bail her grandson out of jail. According to the story, a far-flung police department had called her to let her know her grandson was in custody and needed $500-worth of gift cards to post his bail. Fortunately, she was prevented from buying the cards and called the local police department instead. Sadly, another customer wasn’t so lucky. She proceeded to buy the gift cards despite the warnings from employees.

Even worse, a Walmart employee in another state tried to be a good Samaritan and prevent a man from purchasing a $2,500 wire transfer to send to a scammer. The employee, who is now being honored by the company’s board of directors for her repeated help stopping other customers from becoming victims, was originally threatened with a lawsuit by the would-be victim since she put up some fuss about processing the wire transfer. Fortunately, once the police were called, the customer learned the truth and thanked the employee for saving him from a crime.

These examples illustrate a very serious issue: scam activity is on the rise and more consumers are sitting up and taking notice. However, as these real scenarios demonstrate, it can be difficult to intervene when you see something taking place, even if you’re certain something isn’t right. You don’t know how your help will be received.

So how do you put your knowledge of scams and fraud to good use and help your fellow consumers while avoiding any negativity? First, just know that no matter how your attempt to help is received, you were trying to do the right thing. Also, you can try this:

1.Spread the social word – Social media can be a powerful force for good, especially if the content you’re sharing is relatable and genuine. It’s tempting to forward every alarming hoax that pops up, but if you craft a sincere warning about scams and fraud, you just might prevent someone else from becoming a victim. Don’t forget to make your post sharable!

2. Host a fraud prevention event – There are a number of organizations that host awareness events throughout the year, but you don’t have to wait for a specific time. You can host your own get-togethers, community action meetings, senior center events and more, then use those as a time to help get the word out about different kinds of fraud.

3. Follow news from the Identity Theft Resource Center online – The ITRC has a Twitter account, Facebook account, weekly newsletter and many other resources that can keep you informed. Sharing their news is as simple as clicking a button. Helping others recognize a potential scam doesn’t have to mean putting yourself out there.

If you see a scam taking place, you can enlist the help of retail employees, store managers, law enforcement officers or anyone else who can stop someone from becoming a victim. No matter how you choose to help, just know that you’re working to make life better for others when you stop a scam in its tracks.

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/road-sign-464653_960_720.jpg678960Katie Whitehttps://www.idtheftcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/32smWideLogo_edited-1-300x71.pngKatie White2018-12-13 16:03:342018-12-14 08:24:14What Do You Do with your Scam Awareness?

The U.S. government began changing the information that Medicare cards contain, and not a moment too soon. Ever since the program was created in 1965, Medicare’s familiar red-white-and-blue paper identification contained the beneficiaries’ Social Security numbers. Even handing your card over in a doctor’s office or pharmacy could lead to identity theft and fraud, let alone the consequences if you lost your wallet or purse.

Now, Medicare cards contain a unique patient identifier number. The administration allowed itself a calendar year to make the switch, and they’re about halfway through the process of issuing new cards to all of the beneficiaries. If you don’t receive your new card by April 2019, contact the Medicare agency for an update.

Wouldn’t it be nice if identity thieves and scammers simply thought, “Gee, guess I can’t steal SSNs anymore!” and threw in the towel? Instead, they’ve come up with new ways to take advantage of their victims, especially those who currently possess one of the new cards.

First, some scams have centered around the cards themselves. Claims from a phone caller that you need to verify your identity, activate your card, pay a fee to upgrade your paper card to a (non-existent) plastic card, or other similar stories are completely false.

Other scams have involved “matching” your identity to your card. A caller claiming to be from the Medicare agency checks to see if you’ve received your new card. If not, they ask for your Social Security number to make sure you’re still covered and receiving benefits. If you have received it, they ask for your SSN to match your patient identifier number to your account and make sure you’re covered. In either case, it’s not true.

One of the more outrageous scams involves your bank account info. This version claims that you have to move all the money out of your current bank account to a temporary “safe” account to avoid scammers who’ve targeted you as a Medicare recipient. Providing your account info obviously leads to the caller draining your bank account.

There are some things to keep in mind about the scams associated with these new cards:

1.You can provide your SSN to receive medical care—even if you’ve received your new card—through December 2019. There’s nothing you need to do to “extend” your coverage or move it over to your new card

2.Your new card is completely free, despite claims that you have to pay a $25 fee to get it; no, you cannot upgrade to a plastic card instead of paper, either.

3.Never verify your identifying information or account information to anyone who contacts you. They called you, remember? They should already have it, and a legitimate caller would never ask you to provide it.

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Medicare-Card1.png235375Katie Whitehttps://www.idtheftcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/32smWideLogo_edited-1-300x71.pngKatie White2018-12-13 15:52:412018-12-14 08:23:45Your New Medicare Card Could Lead to a Scam

Some tourists get creative and chew a whole pack to create an image or spell out words. However, it looks like gum isn’t the only thing people are sticking onto the Gum Wall. It’s actually common for people to stick on coins, notes, spoons and even personally identifiable information (PII).

Pennies were actually one of the first items people would stick onto the wall with a piece of gum in the early 1990s. The Market Theater continued to clean the wall, but it didn’t seem to stop people from sticking gum onto it. After the third round of cleaning, the market management decided to let the gum wall be.

Since then, the wall has become filled with business cards, phone numbers, full-names and more. It might seem harmless and fun in the moment, but this may be a threat to your identity later on. A study conducted by Javelin Strategy and Research found that there were 16.7 million identity fraud victims in the U.S last year. It’s important to safeguard your PII as a preventative measure to reduce your chances of identity theft.

It might not seem like a big deal to have your phone number exposed, but if it gets in the wrong hands the data within your mobile device can be compromised. By accessing your phone number criminals can send you scam text messages or phone scams. Both of which can contain phishing attempts or malicious software. This can all lead to a thief accessing your email accounts and change logins or even take money from your mobile wallet.

Even though sticking your old school ID or a business card doesn’t seem like it can do much damage it can cause many problems for you in the long-run. Avoid sharing your PII and keep it just as private as you would with your SSN.

The Gum Wall has only been cleaned once in 2015. So if you’re planning to stick something onto the wall be prepared for it to be there for several years and for millions of people to pass by it.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.

When new technology comes along, it might take a matter of years or only a matter of days for a highly-skilled hacker to figure out a way to break in. With any luck, the person who breaks into the system is what’s known as a “white hat hacker,” or someone whose expert-level skills are put to use helping stop criminal activity instead of benefitting from it.

When security analyst Ryan Stevenson breached Comcast’s Xfinity website portal, it seemed like a frighteningly easy task. It simply required him to match up readily available IP addresses—basically, your computer’s code name onto the internet—with the in-home authentication feature that lets users pay their bills on the telecom provider’s website without having to go through the sign-in process. Another vulnerability allowed Stevenson to match users to their Social Security numbers by inputting part of their home mailing addresses—something that the first vulnerability exposed—and guessing the last four digits of their SSN.

Guessing the last four digits of someone’s SSN might not sound that easy, but it only takes seconds for a computer to do it with the right software. The flaw in the website allowed the computer to make an unlimited number of guesses for a corresponding mailing address, so it took very little time for the code to reveal complete Social Security numbers.

Comcast issued a patch a few hours after the report of the flaws. The company responded to requests from news outlets with an official statement to the effect that they have no reason to believe anyone other than Stevenson accessed this information. They also don’t believe that the vulnerabilities are related to anyone with malicious intent. Just to be safe, though, the company is continuing an investigation into how the flaws originated and how they might possibly have been used.

In the meantime, Xfinity customers would do well to monitor their accounts closely. This could potentially affect other accounts, not just their telecom service accounts, as Social Security numbers, names and mailing addresses were visible.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.

When news breaks of a data breach, consumers might envision a network of Dark Web hackers infiltrating a major target and stealing their files. However, a large number of data breaches are the work of a company’s employees. Sometimes, those employees have set out to steal information from the business, while other inside job data breaches are purely accidental.

That appears to be the case in yet another data breach that can be traced back to an unsecured Amazon S3 web hosting server. Many breaches have already occurred as a result of user error in password protecting these hosted file storage databases, but this time, the compromised information was voter registration records.

A data breach involving voter records might automatically make the public assume the worst in today’s political climate, so it’s important to point out that the compromised information includes a lot of data that is already publicly available to researchers, journalists and other interested parties.

In this event, an unsecured server allowed anyone who “stumbled” on it online to see information that includes full names, phone numbers, complete mailing addresses, political affiliations, birth dates and genders, demographic information that has been gathered and more. The database included records for more than 26,000 voters, according to a report by Bob Diachenko, head of communications for cybersecurity firm Kromtech Alliance Corp.

Diachenko found the information online after conducting a sweep for unsecured S3 web servers. The information belonged to a political robocalling company named Robocent, who sells individual voter records to anyone who wants them for three-cents apiece. The only thing Diachenko had to do to find this exposed database was search for the keyword “voter” in his hunt for unsecured servers.

Unfortunately, another service had already found the information. According to a report on this incident by Cyberscoop, “By the time it was identified by Kromtech, the server had already been indexed by GrayhatWarfare, another website that scans the internet for open S3 buckets.”

When Diachenko reached out to Robocent to report the compromised data, the response was less than satisfactory: “We’re a small shop (I’m the only developer) so keeping track of everything can be tough.” The information is now secured, but there is no way of knowing who else has already seen it.

Looking back at the information that was exposed, it might seem like fairly harmless, common knowledge-type data. After all, names and addresses need more protection. However, this type of database exposure is a gold mine for identity thieves who commit synthetic identity fraud; that type of fraud occurs when the criminal pairs existing identifying information with a made up or unissued Social Security number, essentially creating a fake person who has the victim’s name, address, and other data points.

Since members of the public have very little recourse when it comes to knowing if someone compromises their information, it’s more important than ever to monitor your account statements and credit reports, secure all of your accounts with strong, unique passwords and stay on top of anything suspicious that happens with your identifying information.

ith harsh comments, pleas for help, and any other statement to get the money out of you. Don’t fall for it, and don’t let love turn into heartache and loss by giving in.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.

The high-tech world of hacking means the bad guys have a lot of digital tools at their fingertips. Now more than ever, the automation behind stealing your account access means consumers need to practice the strongest password security they can.

Unfortunately, some consumers have continued to ignore years of expert warnings when it comes to password strength. SplashData, who publishes the annual list of the most commonly used passwords as compiled from leaked credentials, found that in 2017, “123456” was still the world’s most common password. That was followed by “Password,” “12345678” (thanks to websites that are trying to protect their users by requiring longer passwords), “qwerty,” and others, such as “admin” and “letmein.”

“But ‘password’ is so obvious that no hacker would ever think I’d use that… right?” Sadly, that’s not how credential cracking works.

The term credential cracking refers to the systematic, automated breaking of your username and password with the use of high-speed bots. Following a large-scale data breach, a hacker simply uses a large database of usernames and allows the computer to “guess” the passwords for each one. Some credential cracking software can make billions of guesses per second.

In short, no one is sitting at a computer with your username, typing in guess after guess until they reach your password. Their software does it for them and it does it with fairly strong results. There has even been a reported uptick in the numbers of failed login attempts on major consumer websites following large-scale data breaches, indicating that hackers are using the stolen information and their bots to “guess” passwords.

As bad as this development is, it’s not the only bad news. If you’re one of the many consumers who reuses passwords, any cracked credentials that a hacker has on you can lead them right to your other accounts. Using stolen information and cracking tools to guess your email or social media login, for example, would also give the hacker access to your Amazon, PayPal, online banking or other sensitive accounts if you’re reusing your password.

In order to fight back against this high-tech break-in, your account passwords must be strong and unique. Lengthy strings of uppercase and lowercase letters (that do NOT spell a word!) combined with some non-sequential numbers and symbols can help ward off even the most devoted little bot. Using that password on only one account is crucial to preventing multiple accounts from coming under attack.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.

Peer-to-peer payment apps, or P2P apps, are a convenient way to share funds with people. It might be a friend who bought those Taylor Swift concert tickets for your kid’s birthday present on your behalf, someone who owes you money for picking up the tab at lunch last week, or even a way to conduct business transactions like selling a piece of furniture or handmade crafts. One of the increasingly popular uses for P2P apps is when multiple people have to “chip in” to pay for a single item, like a hotel room, cruise ship cabin, or baby shower gift for a co-worker.

Though convenient, P2P platforms have been scrutinized for their potential security concerns. As a platform that is connected to some type of payment account, they’re a golden ticket for hackers. When you create your account on a P2P site, you will link a credit card, debit card, or bank account in order to deposit and withdraw funds; if a hacker gains access to your P2P account, they have access to a more serious form of your finances.

If you plan to take advantage of this handy payment method, you’ve got to use some precautions. The very first is your password security, which is always a good idea. Whether it’s an app account, your email account, or any other online portal, a strong and unique password is a must. A strong password contains a lengthy combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, typically between eight and twelve characters in length. A unique password means that you don’t use it on other sites, no matter how tempting that may be.

Once your account is secured with a strong, unique password, it’s important to monitor all activity in case someone still manages to get in. You can set up transaction alerts to let you know right away if your account has been used, and you can schedule some time to log in and take a quick look each week. If you see activity that you don’t recognize, report it immediately. Deposits you weren’t expecting, not just withdrawals or purchases, can still be a sign that someone is in your account.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.

In a large-scale data breach, hackers may be after a variety of things. It might be sensitive data like personal identifiable information, email addresses and passwords or the answers to common security questions. It can also be slightly less sensitive but still usable information like payment card credentials and home addresses.

But what do hackers actually do with this information? Sometimes they use that data themselves and in other cases, they will sell it or hold it for ransom from the company it was stolen from. Payment card data can have a narrow window of opportunity for use since financial institutions may cancel those account numbers once they discover the breach.

There’s another way that credit cards have been used following a data breach, one that steals additional benefits from the victim. The theft of airline miles or bonus points tied to the victims’ credit cards may go unnoticed because most consumers don’t think to monitor their extra perks; once the hackers have stolen the account credentials, they can use or sell the additional perks on those accounts.

One of the first steps to protecting your perks accounts is to secure it with a strong password, one that you don’t use on other accounts and that you change frequently. By protecting this account and others, you’ll help prevent a breach of your accounts as well as stop a thief who bought old information on the dark web from a database of previously hacked information.

Another key step is to take some time to monitor these accounts from time to time. Thieves get away with it because too often we happily store up those miles or bonus points for a large trip or a major purchase. Monitoring your points from time to time can help you not only keep track of how far you have to go to reach your perks goal, but also lets you stay on top of any problems that arise.

If you do find out that someone has tampered with your perks account, contact your credit card issuer immediately and change your password on this or any account that uses those same login credentials. This could actually be the first sign that someone has accessed your credit card account, so it’s a good idea to order a copy of your credit report, too.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.

What is considered valuable in terms of personal information has continually shifted definition for decades. At the Identity Theft Resource Center, educating consumers about the value of personal information is one of our top priorities. We often find that many consumers are unaware that having your Social Security number (SSN) exposed in a data breach is far more dangerous than having credit card or debit card information exposed. In addition to your SSN, other personal information that is regularly overlooked are login credentials (i.e. usernames and passwords), which can lead to other information being stolen using a method referred to as “credential cracking.” This form of hacking is very widespread and more insidious than most Americans realize.

The Open Web Application Security Project defines “credential cracking” as a method that cybercriminals use to “identify valid login credentials by trying different values for usernames and/or passwords.” This is important considering that, according to the 2017 Verizon Data Breach Incident Report, 80 percent of hacking related data breaches were carried out using either stolen passwords and/or weak or guessable passwords. This means that cybercriminals attempt to gain access to a consumer’s account using educated guesses. How does someone make an educated guess about another person’s passwords? There are a couple of ways that this is done and it’s a lot easier than one might think. For example, criminals can use software that runs every word in the dictionary through authentication in hopes that a consumer has used a simple word as their login credentials. Another way that cybercriminals make educated guesses on login credentials is to use common passwords. Unfortunately, this is successful as consumers continue to use passwords such as “password” or “1234567”. Another way that hackers crack credentials, which is the most pertinent to the focus on the value of personal information, is the use of breached login credentials.

In 2017, there were nearly 179 million pieces of personal information stolen, lost or exposed in data breaches. The use of breached login credentials by hackers is pertinent to the value of personal information because it transforms our ideas of what information is the most dangerous to have stolen by hackers or lost in a data breach. For example, consumers would most likely consider having their tax information lost or stolen in a breach far more dangerous than having their Yahoo or Gmail account credentials stolen. However, the use of “credential cracking” shows us that one can be just as dangerous as the other.

In order to understand why this can be so detrimental, consumers should first think about the login credentials, most commonly this is a username and password, they use on their online accounts. While the best practice is that consumers use different login credentials on each of their accounts, this often isn’t a reality. How many consumers use the same username and password for their Facebook account as they do for their online banking? Even those who may think they are being safe by using different passwords often only use one or two slight modifications, such as the addition of a punctuation mark or another number to their commonly used passwords. When this is the case, all that a cybercriminal has to do is get their hands on the login credentials for one account and they have the key to open many accounts, which may be far more dangerous than the initial account which was compromised. This is crucial for consumers to understand. It shows why each piece of personal information, even something as seemingly useless as the login credentials for an old Twitter account you no longer use can spell big trouble. This is why we stress that consumers need to protect all the components of their personal information because they all have value. Of course, don’t hand out your SSN as you would your email address. The best strategy is to continue to guard that information as incredibly sensitive as well as protecting other personal information.

Our reminder to you is that every single piece of personal information has value. While the login credentials to your social media accounts may not initially cause the damage that an exposed SSN or banking account information will, with a little work from criminals those social media login credentials can lead to exposing more forms of personal information. Each piece of personal information is like a puzzle piece or clue which can be put together to cause serious damage in the form of identity crime. So, while the value of a SSN, or other sensitive personal information, is far more valuable in the eyes of identity thieves, an email password has value as well. Both can lead to having your identity stolen. Consumers must understand that each piece of personal information or data has value and protect it.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.